Looking for a reliable Silicate Test kit,, any suggestion

[dwest]

The Hanna Checker for silicates uses the same chemistry as Hach, and I assume the results would be comparable. The Checkers have always generated results very close to those reported by a $4,000 Hach spectrometer. I've compared results for phosphorus and iron, and alkalinity and calcium using Hach's digital titrator.

I agree about Hanna. There was at least one well known member using the Hanna checker when dosing silicates to study amphidinium dinos.

 

[brandon429]

Adjusting silicates isn't indicated in any of the problem tanks posted so far. Manual cleaning is. We see reef tanks from a chemistry angle to the exclusion of the physical angle, but nature employs both

if the sand rinse thread is 17 pages of invasions getting fixed, what's the chance two more review tanks aren't going to follow suit


Correctly rinsing a sandbed removes high fraction silt powder vs floc it into the crevices of the system. The crevices that constitute active surface area + biofilter want to breathe, so unpack them if needed. If you want to tune the direction of your tank, physically make that happen


Organic waste likes to associate with silt powder, detritus magnet.
OP mentioned the exact condition in his tank. We would have fixed this in two days.


True cleaning gives the system a chance to have detritus ejected and porosity restored (a storm) and the system is put back together, only with no clouding this time, so the invader abates.

I know silicate adjustments are valid chemistry and very handy tuning for larger setups where cleaning-as-catchup isn't practical... just mentioning that for any tank it is practical, a complete/ not partial tank cleaning will get the same ends, months faster and will no ability to feed+ support a new succession of invaders

We get this constantly in high-detritus bryopsis jobs where they use fluconazole to kill the plant, leaving all the fuel for the cyano invasion post. Alternating generations of invaders, all enjoying the same fare

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Anyone have a good silicates tester i was looking at the Hanna ul tester but I'm not sure if its worth it or how its used it looks like 2 reagents are required.

 

[GARRIGA]

If silicates aren’t being introduced then wouldn’t the problem just go away naturally once that which was there gets consumed? Had diatoms and it was nasty. Phosphates were low as well as nitrates. Only variable left was silicates. Used PhosGuard for a week or two and it went away but got to thinking that I could have just left it alone and let it naturally be consumed. Likely the approach I’ll take if this happens again.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

If silicates aren’t being introduced then wouldn’t the problem just go away naturally once that which was there gets consumed? Had diatoms and it was nasty. Phosphates were low as well as nitrates. Only variable left was silicates. Used PhosGuard for a week or two and it went away but got to thinking that I could have just left it alone and let it naturally be consumed. Likely the approach I’ll take if this happens again.

I'm talking about r.o water testing and dosing, i believe the Hanna is the way to go, curious what the community is using?

 

[jimmypencil]

One cannot "blame" diatoms on silicate, but diatoms are the only pest in our tanks that MUST have silicate, and so reducing silicate is often a useful way to beat them.

But like all pests, they MUST ALSO have an adequate source of N, P, trace elements, space to grow, freedom from herbivores, adequate light, etc.

FWIW, I dosed silicate regularly for sponges and other organisms, and I'd get a small temporary shift from green algae on the glass to brown diatoms on the glass until the silicate was sued up, and green algae would take over again.

Feature Article: Silica In Reef Aquariums ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm


Figure 3. A view of the inside of the front glass of my reef tank 5 days after scraping the glass.

Figure 6. A view of the inside of the front glass of my reef tank 5 days after scraping the glass and adding the silica supplement.

Why do new/cycling reef tanks have silicate even if rodi water is used?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Why do new/cycling reef tanks have silicate even if rodi water is used?

If there are diatoms growing at significant levels, the various materials added to the tank must be releasing silicate. Rocks, sand, foods, etc.